Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction
Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
I just joined today and this is my first image I posted in the critique. Just hoping to get a little guidance and feedback.
Other Information
Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.
Image Description
This image was photographed on a early winter evening. It had snowed earlier in the day and towards the evening it got quite foggy so I made a trek into a local hiking trail. I really loved the darkened bare trees against the fog. It made for a nice contrast. I was walking around and assessing the scene and noticed this a tree with a few leaves still attached to it, trying its best to hang on to the last bit of fall.
Technical Details
ISO 64. F11. 1 sec. 32mm
Nikon D850. Tamron 24 -70 2.8
Basic edits made in Lightroom
Specific Feedback
First time posting and image here so if I could get some general feedback on this image, that would be great. I feel like it’s well composed and well edited. I also like the overall feel of the scene too.
A beautiful scene and nicely photographed. An alternative composition might be to exclude the foreground completely and just show the trees in the fog.
Thanks! I’m thinking a panoramic crop might work best. The foreground was the one thing that felt a bit too messy
Welcome, Jason! What a wonderful first post! I love the arrangement of the trees and the one with some leaves is a perfect center of interest. The tonalities feel just right. My only suggestion is that cloning out the branch making a triangle in the LR corner would remove a distraction.
I think you could go several ways with this – a panoramic crop, or greatly reduce contrast on the leafy ground. But that’s not a criticism of it as presented – it is just lovely – just a different direction.
I hope you’ll find this a nice place to hang out. I look forward to more of your work!
Masterfully done. I feel as though I’m in heaven. Or a vision in the clouds. A panorama might be an alternative but I like the way it is. The faint leaves in the center curving amongst all those straight lines are like an apparition. I also like the right side. What about simplifying it to make the lone tree the center of attention.
Jason,
Wonderful first post! Such great mood and atmosphere here. The foggy backdrop does wonders to showcase the lone, autumn tree - as well as all the bare trees fading to obscurity. A beautiful photograph as presented.
I like the alternate thoughts as well. The only small matter that would drive me to have an alternate is the small log crossing the LRC, lower right corner. That, along with the brighter snow in that corner draws the eye somewhat away from the main subject. Not quite sure how you could mitigate that however. A slight crop from the bottom would cut off the bottom of the forward tree, so I don’t think that’s viable. I suppose actually a slight crop off the right could work better… Just a thought. Other than that small nitpick/suggestion, I think this is wonderful! No further suggestions.
Thanks for sharing and we look forward to your engagement in the community.
Lon
Welcome Jason! Very ethereal and lovely first post. I like some of the cropping suggestion others mentioned. Look forward to seeing more of your work.
